שָׁרָב (sha.rav)
sha.rav
scorching
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sharav describes an intense, dry heat that scorches the land. It refers not just to warm weather, but to a fierce, parching wind that dries up moisture and leaves the ground cracked and barren. This word captures the physical reality of a drought where the sun’s power is unrelenting.
Its usage in Scripture highlights this destructive quality. In Isaiah 40:24, it describes how the heat strikes so quickly that even newly planted trees wither before they can take root. The term emphasizes vulnerability and sudden loss, illustrating how harsh conditions can undo human effort almost instantly.
Translators often render sharav as "scorching wind" or "burning heat." This choice preserves the image of an invisible force that causes tangible damage. The word serves as a vivid metaphor for divine judgment or testing, where the environment itself becomes an agent of hardship, stripping away protection and exposing weakness.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sharav describes a fierce, dry heat that scorches the land. It is not just warm weather, but a parching wind that dries up moisture and leaves the ground cracked. This intense condition highlights how quickly human effort can be undone by harsh circumstances.
Yet Scripture offers hope beyond this reality. In Isaiah 49:10, we read that those led by God will not suffer from such heat or sun. The same God who allows trials also provides relief and guidance by springs of water. This promise reminds us that even in difficult seasons, divine mercy is present.
When life feels overwhelming, remember that God sees your struggle. He does not leave you to face the scorching alone. His presence brings rest and renewal, turning barren places into sources of life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ parched ground1×
- burning heat1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שָׁרָ֖ב1×
- הַ/שָּׁרָב֙1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 49:10
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun strike them, for he who has mercy on them will lead them. He will guide them by springs of water.
This verse explicitly promises that God's people will not be struck by the scorching heat or sun, showing His protective care during hardship.
-
Isaiah 35:7
The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of jackals, where they lay.
Here the transformation of burning sand into pools illustrates how God reverses the effects of the sharav, bringing life to what was once barren.